If You Feel Irritated and Frustrated for No Reason... CNN "Children Recovered from COVID-19 Also at Risk of 'Long COVID'"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] As 'Long Covid,' a sequela of COVID-19, has recently emerged as a serious threat to global health care, there are growing calls to increase research cases, especially targeting younger age groups.

According to CNN, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that a total of 13 million children have been infected with COVID-19 so far. Among them, cases experiencing Long Covid ranged from 2% to 10%.

However, experts believe the actual number of cases could be much higher than those confirmed. They point out that due to the lack of research on younger age groups, the current situation cannot be properly understood.

Sarah Kristen Saxon Tezitel, who has been treating children experiencing Long Covid symptoms at a children's hospital in Houston, Texas, told CNN, "In my personal judgment, I think there are a great many undiagnosed infection cases."

Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, also said, "We were surprised by the numerous symptoms and various developmental courses that children have."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines symptoms lasting at least two months after a COVID-19 diagnosis as Long Covid, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines symptoms appearing four weeks after infection as Long Covid.

To date, the symptoms of Long Covid reported in academia include as many as 200 types, such as fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain, loss of smell and taste, memory decline, sleep disorders, and depression.

Cases of Long Covid are also rapidly increasing domestically. According to an analysis by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service released earlier this year, 19.1% (4,139) of 21,615 confirmed COVID-19 patients visited hospitals with one or more sequelae after recovery. This refers to new symptoms that had not appeared in medical records during the three-month and six-month follow-ups after testing positive over the past three years.

In a preliminary survey conducted by the National Institute of Health in cooperation with domestic medical institutions, 20% to 79% of confirmed patients reported fatigue, shortness of breath, forgetfulness, sleep disorders, and depression even after quarantine was lifted.

Accordingly, experts emphasize the need to focus on early treatment for patients complaining of Long Covid symptoms despite the decrease in new COVID-19 cases and the government's easing of quarantine measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.